# A Very British Coup (1988)

> A principled working-class prime minister is quietly undermined by his own party and allies as he pursues radical democratic reforms.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/27329

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 3
- Episode runtime: 55 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, thriller
- Created by: Alan Plater
- Network: Channel 4
- Cast: Ray McAnally, Tim McInnerny, Keith Allen, Christine Kavanagh, Clive Merrison, Hugh Martin, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Stephanie Fayerman
- TMDB rating: 8.2/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094576/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: sober, paranoid, suspenseful, talky, cerebral

## Synopsis

A Very British Coup (1988) is a British political drama miniseries created by Alan Plater for Channel 4. Ray McAnally plays Harry Perkins, a working-class, left-leaning man who unexpectedly wins the prime ministership and begins enacting a radical programme of nuclear disarmament, the breakup of newspaper monopolies, open government and the closure of American military bases on British soil. The engine of the three-part story is the slow, deniable campaign by conservatives and their allies to dislodge him through backroom maneuvering, press manipulation and quiet pressure on his cabinet, while Home Secretary Joan Cook and a few loyal aides try to hold the line. Each episode runs close to an hour and unfolds like a procedural of Westminster corridors, committee rooms and newsroom meetings rather than action set pieces. Tone is sober, talky and quietly suspenseful, with a paranoid undercurrent about who can be trusted. Set in late twentieth century Britain, it is a limited series that rewards patient attention. Fans of House of Cards, The Thick of It and Yes Minister will find resonance in its portrait of power, principle and institutional resistance.

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